Looking for a decent Scart Switch

[sirhcman]

I am looking for a decent Scart Switch.. preferably 3-4 inputs with one output. Anyone have any recommendations?

[xcrement5x]

This thread is also relevant to my interests

[ClodBusted]

I think there was a thread somewhere with a hidden gem of a Scart switch. All that I owned so far did bad things to the video signals, some more obvious, some less.

[wildfruit]

I absolutely need one of these. Tired of swapping 4 consoles around in the one rgb input I have.

[jtucci31]

I've wanted one too. DragonmasterDan has some nice ones. He would know

[Groover]

I have ordered a gscartsw it is an 8 in 1 out. I can give you impressions once I get it. I have about 6 systems already that I use SCART with. It has auto switching and two outputs. So I could if I had a PVM hook it up to that and to my Framemeister. It can also be daisy chained. It is not cheap. I haven't seen a decent switcher that is cheap.

[sirhcman]

I have ordered a gscartsw it is an 8 in 1 out. I can give you impressions once I get it. I have about 6 systems already that I use SCART with. It has auto switching and two outputs. So I could if I had a PVM hook it up to that and to my Framemeister. It can also be daisy chained. It is not cheap. I haven't seen a decent switcher that is cheap.

Please keep me informed, I am definitely interested and willing to pay the money if its a quality device!

[seieienbu]

I have ordered a gscartsw it is an 8 in 1 out. I can give you impressions once I get it. I have about 6 systems already that I use SCART with. It has auto switching and two outputs. So I could if I had a PVM hook it up to that and to my Framemeister. It can also be daisy chained. It is not cheap. I haven't seen a decent switcher that is cheap.

I may pick up one of these myself.  I'd like to be able to record on a Framemeister while playing games on a CRT.  Also, constantly switching cables is annoying.

[majors]

I have ordered a gscartsw it is an 8 in 1 out.

That's like the gold standard! My Life in Gaming give it praise...

I stick to the un-plug and plug method when I want to play. I have easy access to the rear of my PVM, and only a couple of systems I run RGB while at home. At cons, I run everything RGB where I can.

Also, constantly switching cables is annoying.

1st world problems right there.

[ClodBusted]

A cheap and cheerful alternative to a Scart switch is just using a short Scart extension lead from the back of your TV to a place where you can easily plug and unplug your console specific cables.

Mechanically, Scart plugs are rather bad, though. I wish manufacturers would have used something simple and reliable like a D-Sub connector instead. How many pins have those for parallel printer ports? 25 I guess? That would have been more than enough to carry any of the signals of the Scart socket standard, and would it have even made possible to bring S-Video over their own separate lines - instead of sharing them with other signals and having to match profiles on signal source with the TV.

[wildfruit]

$225 is a bit much. I've found a 3 input that claims to be rgb on all for £6. I'll give that a go.

[sirhcman]

$225 is a bit much. I've found a 3 input that claims to be rgb on all for £6. I'll give that a go.

Is it powered? I have always heard you want to have powered switches

[wildfruit]

$225 is a bit much. I've found a 3 input that claims to be rgb on all for £6. I'll give that a go.

Is it powered? I have always heard you want to have powered switches

Doesn't look like it has power. I'll give it a whirl and report back.

[Groover]

Well the GSCARTSW arrived today. I hooked it all up tonight and it is working great. I love the auto switching. I at first trying to turn it all on it wasn't working and I thought I broke the whole thing. It turned out to be the AV Famicom AC adaptor was not firmly plugged in. Everything works. I will be testing it much more and report back. So far it is pretty nice. Long wait but worth it.

I have 6 slots being used leaving 2 more spots open for the future. I am using these.
1. Duo-R
2. NES
3. Genesis/SegaCD
4. SNES
5. Saturn
6. Dreamcast

S-Video
N64

Component
PS2
XBOX
Gamecube

HDMI
360
PS3
PS4
WiiU

[Johnpv]

The GSCARTSW looks like a great piece of hardware. I kind of wish there was an option with a few less features like no dual outputs, no 3.5 audio jack, no sync stripper, etc just to cut down costs a little bit.  I would really love to get one I just can't afford it. 

You should post some pictures of yours, the thing really is a pretty and well built piece of tech from all the reviews and pictures, definitely seems worth the asking price. 

[Groover]

Last weekend I got the chance you hookup the switcher to a PVM and also to my XRGB mini at the same time. It has been working great. Since I got the switcher I have all my systems hooked up at once. So switching between systems I can do easily without having to hook up and track down a power outlet. Also it got me to find the AC adaptor for my old Pelican Component switcher. I will add photos later today once I hook it all back up. I had to pretty much gut it all to take it with me but it shouldn't take long. So far it has been very nice and does just what it says.

Here are some photos.

[Johnpv]

That really is a beautiful piece of homebrew tech.  One of these days I'll be able to afford one.

[wildfruit]

Im going to give this a try https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301814069390

[DragonmasterDan]

Im going to give this a try https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301814069390

I have a couple super cheap ones, I get noise on bright screens. I picked up a Mad Catz one and it works pretty well.

[wildfruit]

Im going to give this a try https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301814069390

I have a couple super cheap ones, I get noise on bright screens. I picked up a Mad Catz one and it works pretty well.

I'm going to give it a test with a wii and a mega drive.  They're the ones I see the most massive improvement with rgb. Also maybe ps1 boot screen is actually a good test too. I think my TV is starting to fall apart keep changing cables.

[technozombie]

I ordered a cheap scart switch from Amazon once. If, for example, i turned on my Genesis the power light on the SNES would come on. So I ended up having to switch cables anyway. Since then I modded the Snes for component output and I'm contemplating getting some Retrovision cables for my Genesis. I do wished I had a PVM, although I never seen one in person.

[jperryss]

A cheap and cheerful alternative to a Scart switch is just using a short Scart extension lead from the back of your TV to a place where you can easily plug and unplug your console specific cables.

That's pretty much what I'm doing. My PVM sits on a small dresser with a power strip mounted next to it, and a short SCART-to-BNC cable that stays plugged into the back. I leave the SCART cable tucked in-between the monitor and power strip and just pull it out when I need to plug a console in. My consoles are stashed away and I only have have one out at a time, so it works well.

I will say that I've had a SCART plug start to separate on me while unplugging it, so I'm now very careful when doing so.

[csgx1]

Im going to give this a try https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301814069390

Does that one have switches to select the source?  Let us know how well it works. 


I've been using a generic Hama clone which was something like $15 shipped from Europe a few years ago.  It only has 3 ports.  Seems to work fine and from what I can tell it doesn't introduce any noise or picture degradation.

[crazydean]

There is a guy on neo-geo forums who is selling powered 5-way bandridge scart switches. Anyone tried these? Thinking about getting one

[wildfruit]

Im going to give this a try https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301814069390

Does that one have switches to select the source?  Let us know how well it works. 


I've been using a generic Hama clone which was something like $15 shipped from Europe a few years ago.  It only has 3 ports.  Seems to work fine and from what I can tell it doesn't introduce any noise or picture degradation.

I don't think it's switched. Can't see anything in picture and not mentioned in description. Unfortunately didn't arrive yesterday and no post today.

[mickcris]

There is a guy on neo-geo forums who is selling powered 5-way bandridge scart switches. Anyone tried these? Thinking about getting one

It's not bad.  I used that until I got a gscartsw.

[Groover]

I'm curious on any updates for SCART switchers. Has anyone picked upanything and how is it? So far the gscartsw has been working well. I have it now hooked up with my new PVM and the other output is going to the Framemeister.

[crazydean]

I don't think there is anything better than the gscartsw unless you get a VGA or BNC switcher

[wildfruit]

I have received my cheapo 5 way job. Haven't had time to hook up to test yet though.

[crazydean]

There is a guy on neo-geo forums who is selling powered 5-way bandridge scart switches. Anyone tried these? Thinking about getting one

It's not bad.  I used that until I got a gscartsw.

Couldn't you just daisy chain two bandridge connectors for more inputs? What makes the gscartsw your preferred switch or the bandridge?

[mickcris]

There is a guy on neo-geo forums who is selling powered 5-way bandridge scart switches. Anyone tried these? Thinking about getting one

It's not bad.  I used that until I got a gscartsw.

Couldn't you just daisy chain two bandridge connectors for more inputs? What makes the gscartsw your preferred switch or the bandridge?

I had issues chaining them together where some consoles on the 2nd switch would not work.  I have heard others do it without any problems.  It may have been an issue with port 5 needing modded on mine, but I did not know about that at the time.
I have 2 gscartsw chained together to my framemeister and they work perfectly.  I have a couple of the older ones that did not need external power so that is one reason I like them.  I also like the extra inputs (15 compared to 9 for 2 switches).
I also have 1 of the newest version hooked up to my BVM.

[wildfruit]

Ok so I finally got round to testing the cheap piece of crap I bought. I can confirm it is a cheap piece of crap. Whites are off grey. Sometimes even off yellow. Tried with saturn & wii. Do not recommend.

[SamIAm]

Wildfruit, I was waiting to see your verdict.

I bought one of those roughly 10 years ago, and I was wondering if they had improved their design at all. It seems not.

At least now you've got something to cannibalize for parts.

I've been getting better at soldering lately, and I wonder how hard it would really be to build your own switch? Maybe something non-powered, but with actual mechanical switches. I know there are a crapload of pins in a scart connector, but a lot of them are ground pins, and most game systems have only one ground at the output anyway. 10 pins should be enough.

A few of these, a bunch of connectors, some breadboard, a whole bunch of wire, and a nice box to stick it all in might actually work. You could keep the design simple by making it so that you have to turn every switch off except for the one for the system you want to use.

Could be a fun way to spend an afternoon.

[wildfruit]

I think people have said above that unpowered switches may be dim and this one definitely is dimmer than a direct connection.

[crazydean]

I just got the Bandridge 5-way SCART switcher. It is powered but it switches automatically. It's awesome. I know some people have had issues, but it works great with my BVM 20G1U.

[SamIAm]

I think people have said above that unpowered switches may be dim and this one definitely is dimmer than a direct connection.

I think the problem there is that this particular device doesn't allow you to disconnect any of the inputs in the series. The systems you're not using somehow soak up some of the signal from the one you are, and that leads to darkness and other weirdness. For example, if you disconnect all butone cable and use this thing like a mere extension, it will probably be just fine.

There is really no reason why an unpowered, totally passive switch couldn't be adequate. It's just that a lot of makers cut corners and don't properly isolate the one input you want to use.

[Bloufo]

Been using this el-cheapo for years. No complaints.